Apparatus for coating, printing, and treating sheet material



FeB. 24, 1942.

M. E. WYS ONG APPARATUS FOR COATING, PRINTING; AND TREATING SHEET MATERIAL Filed May 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q5 T3 w INVENTOR :g/if WVSONG ATTORNEY "MAE Feb. 24, 1942. M. E. WYSONG 2,274,179

APPARATUS FOR COATING, PRINTING, AND TREATING SfiEET MATERIAL Filed May 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A INVENTOR MARCL'L (15%Y50N6. MTQRNEY Feb. 24, 1942. w so 7 2,274,179 APPARATUS FOR COATING, PRINTING, AND TREATING SHEET MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 5, l939 INVENTOR MARCH L 1/5 E WYSONG TTQRNEY Patented Feb. 24, 1942 APPARATUS FOR COATING, PRINTING, AND TREATING SHEET MATERIAL Marcellus Earle signor to Glady Wysong, New fork, N. Y., as

Handy Wysong, New York,

Application May 5, 1939, Serial No. 271,923

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for coating sheet materials such as paper and the like.

In one form of the invention the printed or imprinted paper may be provided with a primary coating for the purpose of impregnating and filling the interstices and the pores of said paper and also absorbing the print thereon to, in effect, lift said print out of the paper. This provides a smooth, non-porous surface, without wicks or filaments, upon which is cast a finishing coating of acetate or the like. The finished sheet is thus smooth, glass-like in appearance, strong and durable, and of such brilliance as to cause the printing to appear bright, sharp, and at the surface.

In a second form of the invention, thepaper may be first provided with an adhesive coating which fills the pores and interstices of the paper and which absorbs .the printing then placed thereon. The adhesive is of such consistency that upon evaporation of its solvent, its surface becomes slightly tacky and it is upon this tacky surface that the covering coating is cast. The

resultant product is a desirable form of decalco mania, since upon removing the paper backing there remains a transparent sheet bearing the printing impressed thereon and having a tacky surface capable of application and adherence to any desired surface.-;-Furthermore, the printing is completelycovered and "protected by the coatadhesive; for calendering this first coating; and

for finallycasting on the finished coating of acetate or other material having similar proper ties. Further, the contemplated apparatus is arranged to give a flexibility of operation wherein unprinted stock may be first printed and then coated; wherein previously printed stock may be coated; wherein extra. operations such as embossing of the stock may be had either before or after coating; and wherein all necessary operations to provide a variety of products such as herein contemplated, maybe produced.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of meansfor'causing the coatings, upon application, to lie flat, smooth, and of 'uniform thickness, said means in the present in- 'i-ng against rubbing, washing away, etc. Also stance, comprising the application of treated air to the surface of the stock immediately after coating. This causes dissipation of air bubbles, evenly spreads the coating, and also serves to more rapidly evaporate the solvents in the liquid coating so the outer surface thereof may harden rapidly.

With theforegoing in mind, the invention may be best understood from the following detailed specification which is based on the accompanying drawings in which the apparatus and product are illustrated in their present preferred einbodiments and hence'should be considered as exemplary only.

'In' the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic layout of apparatus for providing, a product such as herein contemplated.

Fig. 1a is a greatly enlarged sectional view of constructed with a coating section III, a paper printing section II, and a product take-up or rewind section I2. Elf desired, the apparatus may be provided with means for embossing the paper at I3 and with means for embossing the coated product'at I4.

The coating section I 0 preferably comprises the two film casting units I5 and I6 and includes the calender rolls H. The paper printing unit, in addition to the press feeder rolls l8, may comprise, as shown, a four color press having the press units I9, 20, 2|, and 22.

In the contemplated apparatus printed stock may b supplied at 23, unprinted stock at 24, and the finished product wound up at 25.

Prior to describing the functions and operation of the apparatus, a clearer understanding may be had by first describing in detail the coating unit and its structural features. With reference, therefore, to Fig. 2, each of the units l5 'and it are mounted on standards 26, one of which, that for unit l5, mounting the calender rolls l1 and the stock supply 23.

Since both units are essentially similar, the

to a suction device (not shown).

following description of one will suffice for the other.

The paper stock is fed to the cylinder of the unit [5 from the stock roll 23 by first passing it over a tensioned guide roll 30, and similarly the cylinder for the unit l6 receives the paper from a tensioned guide roll 3| which in turn receives said paper from the calender rolls l'l.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, each standard 26 is provided with a bracket 32 in which is trunnioned at 33 a reservoir, hopper, or the like 34. In this hopper, in liquid form, is placed a supply of either cellulose or similar acetate, adhesive or other such material to be employed for casting a film upon the paper web which is indicated at W.

The hopper is provided with an outlet port 35 in which is interposed a cock valve 36 having a port 31 which may be arranged in relation to the port 35 to control the rate of fiow of the liquid through said outlet port.

The hopper is formed with a smooth face portion at 38 where the web W passes therebeneath and said portion, because of its intimate contact with the web, serves to prevent lid 6. being cast to fiow in a direction opposed to the movement of the web, this movement being indicated by the arrows.

At the opposite side of the port 35 there is preferably positioned a doctor .blade 39 or the like, the gauging edge of which is positioned in relation to the web to give the desired thickness of film to be cast upon said web.

In order to properly position the face 38 and the blade 39 in relation to the web, means such as the gauge screw 40, carried by the hopper and an engaging lug 4| therefor on the bracket 32, may be provided. Because of its relatively large diameter, the cylinder 21 frequently may be out of true and therefore would cause the casting of a film of varying thickness. For this reason, it may bedesired to gauge the position of the hopper directly off the cylinder. In this event, a shoe 42 having contact with the web and settable by means of a gauge screw 43 in relation to the lug 44 formed on the hopper, may be employed. Thus, variation in the roundness or concentricity of the cylinder will not effect the relational position of the vital hopper portion with the web to effect the uniformity of the cast film.

As the web passes beneath the port 35 and receives a coating'material or adhesive, either of these liquids may contain air bubbles or maybe otherwise unevenly applied. It is desirable, therefore, to provide means for flattening out said coating and to eliminate said bubbles. To this end the hopper is formed with a chamber 45 having a passage 46 which may be connected Adiustably disthe web there is preferably provided an apron 4'! or the like, said apron being provided, as shown, with skirt portions 48 disposed at the side edges of the web. Thus there is formed a continuous passage comprising the throat 49 between the web and apron, the chamber 45 and the passage 46. When suction is applied as above indicated, air will be drawn through the throat 49 in a direction opposed to the movement of the web to exert a force upon posed over the top of the film just east to flatten said mm, to dissipate any air bubble there may be therein, and

flatten out ridges. The apron is preferably adjustably mounted at 50 to enable varying the size of the throat 43 so that the degree of pressure on the film may be varied. In this manner volatilization of the solvent in the 'cast film also is hastened and said film is thus forced into the pores and interstices of the paper web to become bonded to any printed matter which may have i been impressed on said web.

It may be desired to treat the air being passed over the web as above outlined to further hasten evaporation of the solvents in the film. For this purpose a nozzle 51, shown in Fig. 2, may be positioned beyond the apron, said nozzle being connected to a suitable air-treating apparatus.

As the web leaves the liquid application point it may be picked up by means such as the con veyor 5|, shown for the unit IS, a similar conveyor 52 being used for the unit l6.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the various courses the web may pursue, will be discussed.

As shown by the full lines, a roll of printed paper stock may be provided at 23, the web then receiving the first film coat at the unit 15, then passing between the calender rollers Il over the rollers 53, between the calender rolls I! to the second unit I6 where it receives its second and final film coat, and over the rollers 54 to the take-up mechanism I2 to be rewound at 25.

When the paper stock is unprinted, the roll may be mounted at 24 to be first fed through the printing presses I9, 20, 2|, and 22, passed over the roller 55, beneath the roller 56 to the coating unit l5, and then pursuing the course above mentioned.

When making decalcomanias, the stock is first passed through the unit l5 to receive an adhesive coating, then through the presses to be printed, from whence it passes through the unit l6 for the acetate coat to be taken up at 25.

The apparatus is arranged so only one film may be cast by feeding the paper stock directly to the unit It. Also two coats from the same casting unit may be cast on the paper web if desired.

The following is a partial list of the operations capable of being performed with the instant apparatus.

On plain stock: .one or two cast films.

On printed stock: one or two cast films.

On plain stock: printing, and one or two cast films.

On plain stock: decalcomania (adhesive coat, printing, and film).

- On plain stock: one or two cast films and embossing. t

On printed stock: one or two cast film and embossing. f

On plain stock: printing, one cast film, and embossing.

On polymerized vinyl acetate tate: embossing and printing.

On plain stock: one film, printing, and then a second film.

The above is exemplary only and indicative of the possibilities of the apparatus.

It also may be understood that the instant type of invention is capable of many modifications. Hence the prior pertinent art rather than the present specific disclosure should form the basis of interpretation of the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

or cellulose ace- What is claimed as new and desired to secure I by Letters Patent, is:

1.'A film casting unit for webs of paper and the like comprising a reservoir for liquids having a discharge orifice, means for guiding the web to receive liquid flowing from said orifice to form a film on said web, means for positioning said res- 2. A film casting unit for webs of paper and the like comprising a reservoir for liquids having a discharge orifice, means for guiding the web to receive liquid flowing from said orifice to form a film on said'web, means for positioning said reservoir in relation to said web to gage the thickness of said liquid film upon said web, said means including a member carried by the reservoir andhaving contact with the web, and means for flattening the mentioned liquid film, said film flattening means comprising air suction conduits including an adjustable shoe overstanding the cast film.

3. A film casting unit for webs of paper and the like, comprising a liquid hopper having a liquid discharging port, valve means for controlfor guiding the web past the discharge end'oi said port, means for accurately positioning said discharge end of the port in relation to the web,

and means for exerting a pressure upon the filmcoated web after passing by said discharge port. said latter means comprising an apron adjustably positioned above the web to form a throat, and means for drawing air through said throat in a direction opposed to the movement of the web.

4. A film casting unit for webs or paper and the like, comprising a liquid hopper having a liquid discharging port, valve means for controlling the flow of liquid through said port, means for guiding the web pastthe discharge end of said port, means for accurately positioning said discharge end oi the port in relation to the web to gage the thickness of said liquid film upon said web, said means including a member carried by the hopper and havingcontact with the web, and

' means for exerting a pressure upon the filmcoated web after passing by said discharge port, said latter means comprising an apron adjustably positioned above the web to form a throat, and means for drawing air through said throat in a direction opposed to the movement of the web.

MARCELLUS EARLE WYSONG.

. u 3 ling the flow or liquid through said port, means 

